Under My Skin
by xHalosandwings
Summary: Request for Mandamirra10 and calidiva. With the return of a diva legend and the uprising of the number one contender, the lines between veteran and rookie have become extremely blurry. Trish Stratus/Wade Barrett.
1. Chapter 1

A request for _Mandamirra10 :) _I had a lot of fun with this one-shot and I hope you all enjoy it too!

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**UNDER MY SKIN**

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**It wasn't that Wade Barrett disliked the other members of the Nexus, more that he wouldn't particularly enjoy their company outside of Monday Night Raw. None of them posed any particular threat to him and his title ambitions yet it didn't hurt to have them on board. Allies were always better than enemies, not that any of these men were going to be of any great help.

Even after getting rid of Darren Young and the thug Michael Tarver, not to mention the meathead Skip Sheffield injuring himself, Wade still found himself stuck with a group of brainless idiots. David 'A-List' Otunga had a big mouth and nothing to back it up with. Justin Gabriel may have been fancy in the ring but had all the personality of a wet flannel and the two newest recruits, Michael McGillicutty and Husky Harris, were certainly nothing to shout about. However, Wade found himself most irritated by the Heath Slater, someone surprisingly cocky considering death was a more appealing option than listening to the redhead talk.

Instead, Wade focused in on the television screen, as he knew all of the other superstars in the back would be doing. The divas match was coming up and although normally, no-one cared about the women in the company, tonight was different. Raw was in Toronto. A diva legend was returning and even he was wise enough to know she was one to watch.

On the monitor, Laycool had just faced Natalya in a handicap match set up by Vickie Guerrero, however their plan backfired and it was Natalya that made Layla tap to a Sharpshooter. Unhappy with the result, Michelle delivered a swift kick to the back of the Natalya's head before both girls laid a beating into her, leaving her defenceless in the ring.

'_Whoa! It's time to rock and roll...'_

The whole arena knew the start of _that_ entrance music and at that moment, they absolutely erupted before the seven time champ ran out to the aid of Natalya. She hit Laycool with a flurry of right hands, even using the MaTrish when Michelle went for a clothesline. A signature Chick Kick sent the skinny blonde rolling out of the ring but the nail in Laycool's coffin was the execution of a Stratusfaction on Layla. Both heel divas screeched furiously on the ramp, nursing their wounds whilst the Canadian divas celebrated in the ring. For weeks, promos of her return had played but it couldn't have prepared anyone for that rush.

Wade remembered the Trish Stratus he'd see on his TV. All blonde hair and big breasts, yet somehow, Wade never found her that appealing. Conventionally, she was 'hot' but he always imagined that once you peeled away the make-up, he wouldn't be satisfied. And truth be told, Stacy Keibler's legs always settled the deal for Wade.

But in actual fact, this new Trish Stratus was much more beautiful. Her yoga-toned body was showed off by a pair of cropped black tights, a white crop top with 'Stratusfaction' printed across the back, with matching boots that had skinny pink stripes up the sides. The signature blonde locks were gone, replaced by chocolate brown waves that framed her face and accentuated her features. Her breast implants had been removed, so instantly you didn't find yourself staring at her chest. Instead, Wade found himself looking at her face. She looked to be wearing very little make-up, yet she still looked captivating. Like a fine wine, Trish only improved with age.

The Englishman turned off the screen in the Nexus' locker room and pulled on one of their signature armbands. Like Wade said, the Nexus wasn't about making friends; it was being the best in the company.

Since childhood, Wade wanted nothing more than to be the WWE champion and here he was, performing week after week for millions of people worldwide. Forget Shawn Michaels, Wade was the new boyhood dream come true and it was even more unique for him because he was international.

But it still wasn't enough.

He wanted to be the champion. He wanted nothing more than to wear that gold belt around his waist and to walk out and hold it above his head with pride. No-one cared about that title as much as he did. From afar, he'd watch as John Cena used it as a toy to win over the fans with. He saw Randy Orton give it nothing more than a once over before tossing it aside to find some ring rats to sleep with. For them, it was a prop, but for Wade, it was so much more.

It was evidence that he'd made something of his life. It was proof that he was capable of so much more than what his school peers told him he would be. The lanky kid from Preston was an international superstar and better than any of them would ever be.

"Wade!" He tore his eyes away from the TV screen and saw Heath was staring at him. "Man, it's game time. We've gotta get to the ring." Heath, Justin and David had a six man tag-team match against John Morrison, R-Truth and Daniel Bryan.

"You guys go without me," Wade threw back his shoulders and headed towards the door, casting a glance back at his fellow Nexus members, who were watching him. "I've got other business to take care of."

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Entering the Divas locker room to a round of applause certainly wasn't what Trish had expected but it was definitely appreciated. She gave her signature bow – in a jokey way, of course - before going round to greet each diva in turn, all but Michelle and Layla who'd already showered up and left the arena, licking their wounds.

"So?" Melina Perez was one of the only girls still around from Trish's time in the WWE. "Are you here to stay?"

Trish answered Melina's question with a nod; she just couldn't stay away.

"I say we go celebrate," Trish's old friend Gail wrapped an arm around the newly-dyed brunette's waist, "I'm thinking we go out for drinks."

"That sounds good," Trish nodded, to which the other girls squealed. "But I need to shower up. Actually, before that I said I'd go see Vince, so I'll be right back." She left the locker room. It was official; Trish Stratus was home.

Four years ago, retirement seemed like a logical option. She'd been in the WWE for six years and had reached every mountaintop there was to reach. The multi-time women's champ was considered one of the greatest there ever was, if not _the_ greatest and she had nothing left to prove in the wrestling world. It was time to give some of the other girls their time to shine. Also, leaving when she did meant she was going out on a high; the last thing she wanted was to go out as a has-been that didn't know when her time to go was.

But four years was a long time to be away. At first, the prospect of not travelling every day and being able to relax at home was so appealing. Once it became a reality, however, she found herself jittering and wanting to be on the road. She was completely restless. Not to mention one of the only reasons she retired was to spend time with her then fiancée, who she ended up splitting up with just a year later. Turns out absence _did_ make the heart grow fonder and when they were together, it just wasn't right. So she threw her heart and soul into her new yoga venture. It became like a child to her; a baby she wanted to build from the ground up. She was passionate about yoga and loved it but it just wasn't wrestling.

Every Monday night, she'd sit in her living room and watch Raw, wanting nothing more to return and show the other girls how women's wrestling could be. The writers had no faith in these girls, these girls that held the potential to be even better than the women of the past. Trish thought fondly of the 'Golden Era' with girls like Amy, Nora and Lisa-Marie, the amazing matches they put on and how they changed people's views of women's wrestling.

Besides, she had more to come back to. There was one women's title she had never gained; the newly formed Unified Divas Title. If she could hold that, Trish knew she would wipe the smug smiles off Layla and Michelle's faces, the smiles that had been gracing her TV screen for way to long. Some might say she returned for the glory but Trish knew she returned because the WWE was her first love.

A love her husband could never compete with.

"Vince?" The brunette reached the WWE Chairman's office and she tapped on the door lightly. There was no response, so she gently opened the door, only to see Vince already had a visitor.

"...we're not here to make things difficult, Mr McMahon-" A distinct British accent. "-But if you don't give the Nexus what we want, then we'll have no choice but to-"

The voice stopped midsentence. As he turned around, Trish found herself looking into the eyes of the Nexus' leader, Wade Barrett, his dark intense glare scanning over her smaller frame. She did her best to stare straight back at him – _she_ was the veteran after all, not him – but it was difficult. Worst of all, she couldn't help but observe that in real life, he was actually quite good looking. How awful of her to think that.

"I'm here to see Vince," Trish said as clearly and confidently as possible. "Do _you_ have an appointment?"

Wade stared back at the brunette with a slight look of disbelief. Instead of confronting her like she thought he might, he actually smiled. "Ladies first." And with that, he stepped outside.

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_Ladies first_.

What was that supposed to mean? On the way back to the locker room – and all through her meeting with Vince – Trish couldn't stop thinking about those two words. Was Wade just being genuine or was that smile fake? After all, the Wade Barrett she thought she knew had no respect for anyone, let alone women, so why? Perhaps he knew his diva legends and therefore felt some respect for Trish... Ha! Who was she kidding? She'd been watching Raw and she knew what the Nexus were like; they were animals, packs of hyenas that preyed on the innocent. How could a man that instigated vile attacks be capable of any respect, let alone for a woman? Perhaps she was thinking way too much into it.

Trish had just wrapped her hand around the handle on the door of the women's locker room, when she felt a man's touch on her shoulder. When she turned around, she felt a burn in her stomach as Wade was smiling at her.

"It's good to have you back, Miss Stratus." If she didn't have a thing for accents, Trish may have found that smarmy. She was leaning back against the door and Wade was stood dangerously close to her.

"What do you want, Wade?" She arched an eyebrow, very aware of his minty breath against her face.

"Ah, you know who I am." He stood back and smirked, folding his arms.

"How could I not?" Trish straightened up too. What she had said was meant to sound rude but instead, just sounded seductive. That was not the approach she had been going for.

"So what else do you know about me?"

"Let me see, you're a spineless bastard that runs a cowardly group that doesn't want to get their shots like everyone else, so they instil fear into anyone that goes against that." There, that should've done it. She stepped forward. "Other people might be scared of you, Mr Barrett, but I've dealt with much worse than you before."

That look of disbelief appeared on Wade's face again, before he started a slow clap, his large hands creating loud bangs as they slapped together. "Not bad. Have you been rehearsing for long? How long did it take you to come up with that little monologue?"

"It wasn't a monologue."

"Whatever it was, it was impressive." He offered up a fake shiver. "Look, I've got chills."

"I've never appreciated British humour." She commented dryly.

"It's a little thing we call sarcasm."

"I know what sarcasm is!" Trish found her cheeks growing red with frustration. Who was this guy to make her feel stupid? Wade knew how to get irritate.

"They always say the Americans have no sense of humour."

"It's a good thing I'm Canadian then, isn't it?" She got him there.

He grinned, aware of his mistakes. Holding up his hands, he said, "Touché."

"And I have a sense of humour. Your comments just aren't funny."

"Hey, I never said I was a comedian." Wade held up his hands and grinned. "Just a simple wrestler."

"And you aren't even good at that. Wrestling isn't about sneak attacks, outnumbering people and bullying your way to the top. Wrestling is a sport where the weak suffer and the strong survive – and I'm not talking about physical strength. You might think you're on top now but you won't last, not if you keep this up. And you won't make any friends either."

"Every girl loves a bad boy, don't they?"

"Not necessarily."

"Then why are you still here talking to me?" Now Trish just wanted to hit him. No-one had ever got under her skin so quickly as this guy had. "I got you there, didn't I?"

Trish shook her head sadly and went to go into the locker room, but once again, Wade's hand clasped onto her shoulder and they found themselves in that precarious position again, the empty hallway silent. Wade's eyes were staring into Trish's and she was looking straight back at him with what was either fury or lust. Or both.

"I might be a bad guy, Trish." Using the back of his index finger, Wade stroked a line down one of Trish's smooth cheeks, sending shivers up her spine. This time, she turned her head away but he used the same finger to tip her chip up so she was looking at him. "But you've never been one to shy away from a bit of danger before."

Without any thought, Trish pulled Wade's face down onto hers, their lips pressing together.

She used the back of the door to hitch herself up as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Their kiss was full of passion, their lips and tongues battling against each other's and their hands roaming. Wade's kisses made their way down Trish's neck, making her toss her head back in pleasure. Why was she enjoying this so much? In her head, Trish knew she should stop but a bigger part of her wanted it to last forever.

For the briefest moment, she stepped back away, her breath heavy and panting and her gaze still fixed against Wade's. She pressed her forehead against his, feeling his warm skin against hers. "I don't understand you, Wade Barrett." His kisses made their way down onto her neck again, tiny butterfly kisses hitting her neck pulse.

Slowly pulling away, Wade mumbled against Trish's racing pulse, "Maybe you're not as powerful as you thought," And he pushed her off, leaving her straight-backed against the door. With a small wink, he headed off down the hall until he was completely out of sight.

Trish stood dumfounded. The lines between veteran and rookie had become very blurry.

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What did you think? Please leave a **review** :) Xx


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, I know I said this was only a one-shot but when _Calidiva _requested another Trish/Wade fic, I thought... why not just add another chapter to the one I've already written?  
Hope you enjoy ;)

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_"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace"_ – Sri Chinmoy Ghose

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'_Maybe you're not as powerful as you thought.'_

Almost six months after someone said those words to Trish Stratus for the first time – a man she preferred not to talk about – they were coming back to haunt her in a very different context. The brunette was sat in the divas locker room was Gail and Natalya. The latter of the two was someone she'd only recently come to admire as both an athlete and a friend but Gail had been there for her for almost a decade; her return to the WWE had made them even closer, almost sister-like.

The three girls watched the television in the corner of the room with disdain; John Morrison versus Dolph Ziggler was opening Monday Night Raw and the wrestling may have been unparalleled but neither of the men were in Miss Stratus' good books at that moment.

"I used to really like John." Natalya was the first to speak up as she folded her arms stubbornly across her chest. "Despite the company he keeps, I always thought he was a pretty good guy."

"Adam snubbing him on live TV was the least he deserved." Gail added with a small smirk at the memory of their friend's retirement and the Canadian superstar skipping straight past _The Shaman of Sexy_ to shake hands with Randy Orton. "Did you see Randy laughing afterwards? It was brilliant."

"I don't blame John for what happened." Trish began. "He's not a bad guy, his girlfriend's just a hell of a lot smarter than he is and somehow managed to get inside his head."

"Just when you think Melina's turned over a new leaf, she goes and pulls a stunt like that."

The three divas were of course referring to the recent backstage incident that had shaken the wrestling industry and smudged the names of both John Morrison and Melina Perez. Following Wrestlemania, WWE had a whole storyline planned out concerning JoMo and Trish, only for him to turn around and say that he didn't want to work with her anymore, as 'a sign of respect to his girlfriend'. Everyone knew that put simply, that meant that Melina didn't want her boyfriend working with Trish because she was jealous that the legendary diva was getting television time and she wasn't.

Like Trish said, she didn't blame John for what was going on. Well, not completely. She was aware that Melina knew exactly how to guilt trip him into getting himself out of the storyline, no matter how bad that would make his reputation in the outcome.

"I don't know how much longer the pair of them will last if they keep acting like that." Natalya continued, beginning to strap on her kneepads, ready for hers and Gail's tag team match against Alicia Fox and Melina herself.

"Don't worry about him, girl, like you said, he's an idiot and not worth your time. What kind of idiot wouldn't want to work with a seven-time champion?" Gail gave her friend a kiss on the cheek before turning to the Hart diva. "Ready to go kick ass?"

"Absolutely. We'll be sure to give Melina a couple of chops for you." Natalya and Gail exited the locker room, two dazzling smiles shot Trish's way before the door shut behind him.

'_What kind of idiot wouldn't want to work with a seven-time champion?' _Well, apparently John Morrison didn't want to. Back in her prime, something like that wouldn't have bothered Trish but now she was a returning 'legend', it had certainly made her think. For Morrison to reject her, someone that wasn't exactly getting the screen time he deserved, it didn't seem right. If it was a guy like Randy or Cena, she might have understood. Maybe she just wasn't as relevant as she once was. Or maybe she just wasn't as powerful as she thought she was.

She'd never forgive Wade Barrett for so easily getting under her skin.

Trish stood up and walked over to the mirror in the corner of the locker room. Sitting down in front of it and examining herself, she felt the most self-conscious she had since returning. Although her body was still killer, her face was beginning to show its thirty five years. Compared to some of the other girls running around, she was practically ancient.

As if to add to her insecurities, the locker room door opened and Brie, Nikki and Eve entered in a blur of long brown hair and long tanned limbs. The trio chattered excitedly before they noticed Trish sat on one of the benches.

"Hey Trish." Eve said cautiously, keeping a safe distance from the veteran diva. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna go get a drink." Trish decided aloud, standing up and making her way out of the locker room and into the bustling backstage area. _Get it together_, she mentally told herself, wondering how she'd gone from being the most confident woman in the WWE to debating whether she was even wanted around here anymore.

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There was no doubt in Wade Barrett's mind that he was losing control.

Once the leader of the Nexus, the group that dominated Raw and put the whole of the WWE on notice, he was now pissing about on Smackdown with The Corre, a group that held no credibility whatsoever. Championships in the WWE were meant to mean something; the glimmer in his eyes when he went for the world title last year was undeniable but the Intercontinental title belt on his shoulder? It felt meaningless.

2011 should have been his year but what had he accomplished other than winning the title? He hated the idea that all his naysayers had been proved right and that Wade Barrett was just a flash in the pan, a blip in WWE history. Of course he knew this was anything but the truth but proving his critics wrong was becoming much more of a challenge than in 2010.

"Man up, Barrett." He told himself, staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

He'd escaped to the restrooms in an attempt to escape the company of his Corre teammates, sick to death of hearing them talk. Justin and Heath hadn't changed since their Nexus days; Justin was still as exciting as paint drying and Heath still spoke too much. Ezekiel Jackson was no better than either of them; he didn't have much more personality than Justin but there was a look in the big man's eyes that Wade didn't like and always felt cautious of.

The Brit gave his reflection one last steely stare before he left the restroom and entered the crowded hub of the backstage area. At the height of his success, rooms cleared when he appeared but it was now up to him to manoeuvre his way through the sea of bodies. He went in search of an empty locker room – usually there were a couple unoccupied and he needed somewhere where he could clear his head.

The occupied locker rooms had signs on so when he found a door without one, he stumbled inside, only to find someone already in there. "Sorry." He apologized, turning around to leave. When it clicked which diva was in there, however, he decided to stick around.

Wade hadn't spoken to Trish Stratus since their last encounter – coincidental that as she was returning to Raw, he moved to Smackdown. He definitely wasn't intentionally avoiding her although something told him things weren't entirely mutual on her end of things. Their kiss had shaken her up and Wade felt he was allowed to be a little smug about it.

When she looked up and saw him stood in the doorway, a smirk on his face, she shook her head, looking back down again. "Not now, Wade." She said bitterly.

Trish sat on one of the benches, her back to the hard wood cupboards as she stared at the ground, her eyes fixed on the stone floor. He'd never seen her looking so wounded. He'd yet to see her like this and it shocked him to see such a strong female down. "What's the problem?" He asked, sitting down next to her.

"Like you care." She muttered, still not looking at the Corre's leader. "You don't need another piece of ammunition against me."

"I never used that first piece, did I? Why would I consider a second?"

Seeing he had a point, she went ahead, finally glancing up at him. "Do you think me returning was a mistake?"

"Is this about what John Morrison said?" Of course, this was what Trish was upset about; being snubbed.

"Everyone keeps telling me I'm this legend and that anybody would be lucky to work with me but when it comes down to it, this guy says no? It just got me thinking...there's so many divas on the roster at the moment, the last thing anyone needs is a has-been taking up the spotlight–"

"Did you really just call yourself a has-been? You know you're talking out of your arse, don't you?" He sound so terribly British that Trish couldn't hold back a smile. "You're better than all those divas put together – that's why you've been brought back. You're Trish Stratus, for God's sake, no female in professional wrestling holds a candle to you. And if Morrison can't see that? It's his loss, not yours."

"You're being too nice, Barrett." Trish was unsure how to respond to his softness. "Why so complimentary?"

"I'm just telling the truth. You've thrown a lot of accusations at me but I don't think you've ever called me a liar and I don't think you ever will be able to."

"After our last–" Trish coughed nervously. "–encounter, you told me I wasn't as powerful as I thought I was. It never bothered me until this whole situation."

"I was only referring to us when I said that." He lowered his voice in a way that dripped with intrigue and seduction. "You thought you were high and mighty, judging me and then you succumbed to my charms. And hey, I don't blame you for that."

"There's the arrogant asshole I remember."

"Actually before you described me as a spineless bastard."

Trish turned away from Wade, allowing a smile to cross her lips. This man...he did something to her that she found hard to explain.

"Deny it all you want but there's something between us, Trish. It was there last time we kissed and it's still there now. Keep name-calling me but it won't cover me your feelings." Wade continued, a hand brushing over her denim-clad thigh. His lips moved closer to her, grazing over her ear as his voice dipped to a whisper. "Why try to hide it?"

As Wade let his kisses move down her neck, Trish let out a low moan. She still hated him, hated everything he stood for but her body refused to say no as she turned her head into him and caught his lips against her own.

It was much softer than their last kiss, which had been filled with passion and lust. This was one sweeter and it gave her a different kind of goosebumps. One of his hands rested at the back of his neck and the other against her thigh, whilst she let her fingers graze through his gelled hair. His lips tasted of peppermint and she felt surprised at how safe she felt when he kissed her. She hadn't felt this safe in a long time.

He pulled away, letting his eyes meet hers in a long, intense stare. "Just so you know," He began, tucking a lock of brown hair behind her ear. "You'll never be a has-been. And if I were in Morrison's shoes, I'd never pass up the opportunity to work with you."

It wasn't just what she wanted to hear; it was what she needed to hear and although she hated to think that she was wrong and he _did _have a genuine bone in his body, she was glad those words had come from his lips and not someone else's. Leaning over, she let her lips lightly touch his before she smiled against his mouth. "Thank you, Wade."

"No problem." He clapped her knee in a friendly way before getting to his feet and exiting the locker room, leaving Trish with his words echoing in her ear.

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Making his way out of the arena having successfully defended his Intercontinental title, Wade knew it was back to the hotel before an early flight would take him to Arizona for Smackdown where the cycle would continue. The only thing that would take him away from the surprisingly dreary repetitiveness was the thought of Trish and whenever their next encounter would be.

It shocked him, however, to find the seven time women's champ waiting at his car for him, leaning back against the door with a smile on her face. "I didn't expect to see you quite so soon." He told her.

"Yeah well, that last kiss kept me hanging on a little too much." She replied truthfully. "I don't know what it is about you, Barrett, but when I'm around you, something changes. I'm not myself around you."

"Or maybe you're just not yourself around everyone else."

She smiled. "Touché."

In what felt like the most genuine action between the two, more so than any of their kisses, Wade pulled Trish in for a half-hug, allowing the brunette to rest her head against his shoulder. It was a simple friendly gesture but it meant a lot to her. It was as if Wade was saying 'Game over'. "Do you want a ride back to the hotel?"

"Please." She nodded, getting into the passenger seat of his car. "Do you want to come to my room tonight?"

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"No, I'd just like the company, if that's alright. We'll probably watch movies and if I'm feeling cruel, I might make you sleep on the couch."

Wade laughed. It was an honest laugh and in that moment, it seemed as if the white flag had been waved and their weapons thrown down, something that seemed a long time coming but was the right moment to do so.

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Please **review** :) xx


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